Water excluding ring for axle bearings



Sept. 29., 1936. J. HEKTNER WATER EXCLUDING RING FOR AXLE BEARINGS Filed Oct. 10, 1934 ntentenl gent,

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fiCLlIlDllNlG: RING F015?) WATER .lloel Hehtner,

m E BEAlltliN@S @anton, @hio, assignor to The Tim= lien Roller Bearing Company, Canton, Ghio, a

corporation oi (llhio application October lid, 19%, Serial No. M7684;

ll Claim.

My invention relates to closures for axle bearings, particularly to rings for excluding water from the axle bearings of locomotives, tenders and other vehicles that are used under conditions 5 where the exclusion of water is a special problem.

The invention has simple and effective irom such bearings.

for its principal object a means for excluding water The invention consists principally in a ring mounted on a closur e plate so as to be slidable longitudinally thereof, whereby it can be accurately positioned with respect to a wheel or other member located alongside said bearing closure, thereby forming a water seal.

tion further consists The invenin the water excluding ring for axle bearings and in the parts and combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

in the accompanying drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of a roller bearing axle construction provided with a water excluding ring embodying'my invention;

and I Fig. 2 is a sectional view on Fig. l.

The accompanying hearings and journal the line ll-2 in drawing shows the axle box of a locomotive trailer truck, the details of the bearings and journal box forming no part of the presentinvention, which is concerned entirely with the closure device tor the end of the journal box. box 6 illustrated has a cap 2 closing its outer The journal and secured thereto by screws 3 and an annular plate by screws ii.

"i of the axle which has a closing its inner end and secured thereto A wheel ii is mounted on the body reduced end portionli extending into the journal box it and on which taper roller bearings ii are mounted, and an intermediate stepped portion it which cooperates with the grooved closure sleeve 0 l of the end closure plate 3.

A radiused shoulder i2 is formed portion it against said ing flange it or fiinger shoulder it has a projectthat overlaps the inner end of said grooved sleeve ii.

The closure plate t has a tubular portion it that projects towards said wheel t and has a cylindrical outer periphery ii. A. tapering inner portion id of said plate t extends from said tubular portion lit to the grooved sleeve ii. A

space it) is necessarii y left between said tapered which gap varies in size end economical portion is and said radiused portion ll of the axle. While the seal made by the sleeve M is effective under ordinary circumstances, the amount of water that can be excluded is limited; and, under certain circumstances, it becomes de- 5 sirable to provide a positive means for excluding water from said space.

According to the present invention, a ring 2@ or collar has a cylindrical inner periphery fitting over the cylindrical seat formed by the outer pel0 riphery of said tubular portion iii and is preferably provided with a flanged or outwardly flaring end portion 2! whose face abuts against the hub of the wheel ii. Said ring 29 has a fairly tight fit on said seat ill, but it may be moved by a pinch 15 bar or other suitable tool so that its face engages the wheel hub. This arrangement prevents water from entering the space between the end closure plate d and the radiused shoulder E2 on the axle. The length of the ring 2!) is somewhat less than the length of said seat it; so that when it is desired to remove the wheel and bearing assembly, the endwise movement of the wheel will push said ring 20 onto the seat it until the end of said ring is flush with the end face of said seat, after which the thrust will be transmitted through the closure plate d to the bearings and journal box, which will then be removed in the usual way.

The above described ring can be adjusted to whateyer position will fill the gap between the wheel hub and the closure ring of the journal box. due to diiierent wheel hubs being in different positions. It forms an effective seal against the admission of water and other matter, it requires very littlevmodification in the design of a well known type of end closure member, it does not interfere with the removal of the wheel and bearings and it is simple and. to apply. Obviously, numerous changes may be made without departing from the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown.

What I claim is:

A water excluding seal for axle bearings oi the type mounted in a housing disposed adjacent to a wheel hub and having an end closure plate with a sleeve encircling a portion of said axle, which comprises a cylindrical seat on said closure plate extending towards said wheel and a ring mounted on said seat with its end face in engagement with said wheel, said ring being shorter than said seat and having a lit on said seat permitting adjustment by force but tight enough that it will remain in adjusted position. 

